MN 125 agama parallel MA 198 調御地經 has some fascinating details about first jhana not in MN 125, through elephant similes

Part 2 of the article:

MN 125 agama parallel MA 198 調御地經 has some fascinating details about first jhana not in MN 125, through elephant similes

In this installment, I'll point out and comment on the specific things relevant to jhanas and vitakka that are in MN 198, but not in MN 125

• (4sp satipatthana nonstop,to subdue thoughts of household and delight in Dharma thoughts)
  • (simile: elephant tied to post to keep it from returning to forest, and grow to like men and fortress)
• (do 4sp with no kāma-vitakka/thoughts of sensuality)
  • (simile: elephant trained to like and follow commands for good war elephant)
• (4 jhanas: first jhana here is equivalent to the 4sp instructions immediately preceding)
  • (simile: war elephant following trainer’s instructions on how to be imperturbable in battle)

(4sp satipatthana nonstop,to subdue thoughts of household and delight in Dharma thoughts)

(4sp🐘)

「若聖弟 子護身及命清淨，護口、意及命清淨者，如 來復調御比丘：	16. "When the noble disciple maintains purity of livelihood in body, maintains purity of livelihood in speech and in mind, the Tathāgata further tames the monk:21
『汝當觀內身如身，乃至觀 覺、心、法如法。』	22. "'You should contemplate the body as body internally ... (up to) ... contemplate feelings, mental states and dharmas as dharmas!'22
若聖弟子觀內身如身，乃至觀 覺、心、法如法者，此四念處，謂在賢聖弟子心 中，繫縛其心，制樂家意，除家欲念，止家疲 勞，令樂正法，修習聖戒。	When the noble disciple contemplates the body as body internally ... (up to) ... contemplates feelings, mental states and dharmas as dharmas,23 then these four establishings of mindfulness are what is called a settling in the noble disciple's mind, binding that mind, to control intentions of delighting in the household, to discard thoughts of desire for the household, to stop the household weariness, so that he delights in the right Dharma and in developing noble conduct.

The highlighted portion is not in MN 125. 樂 = 'delight', also the same character as the 'sukha' in the first 3 jhanas. If this same statement were in the pali suttas, they would probably use pīti (rapture), pāmojja (virtuous mirth), or both, as a compound word pīti-pāmojja. And the specific meaning of that, would be corresponding to the Dhamma-vicaya-sambojjhanga evaluating the "right Dharma as right Dharma" referenced above, then causing Pīti-sambojjhanga to arise. This is the same type of kusala (skillful) Dhamma -vitakka (thoughts relevant to Dharma) that first jhāna's vitakka is referring to. 

(simile: elephant tied to post to keep it from returning to forest, and grow to like men and fortress)

阿奇舍那！猶調象 師受剎利頂生王教已，持極大杖，著右肩 上，往野象所，以杖著地，繫野象頸，制樂野 意，除野欲念，止野疲勞，令樂村邑，習愛 人間。	23. "Aciravata, just as the elephant tamer, having received the king's instructions, took hold of a large post, put it on his right shoulder, went to where the forest elephant was, planted the post in the ground and bound the forest elephant to it by the neck, [in order to] control [the elephant's] intentions of delighting in the forest, to discard his thoughts of desire for the forest, to stop his forest weariness, so that he [will come to] delight in the village and city, and develop a liking for men.
如是，阿奇舍那！此四念處，謂在賢聖 弟子心中，繫縛其心，制樂家意，除家欲念， 止家疲勞，令樂正法，修習聖戒。	Like this, Aciravata, these four establishings of mindfulness are called settlings in the noble disciple's mind, binding that mind, to control intentions of delighting in the household, to discard thoughts of desire for the household, to stop the house hold weariness, so that he delights in the right Dharma and in developing noble conduct.24

The same part in MN 125 has the happy elephant part but not the happiness of the monk thinking right Dharma thoughts

dhammesu dhammānupassī viharati ātāpī sampajāno satimā vineyya loke abhijjhādomanassaṃ.	principles—keen, aware, and rememberful, rid of desire and aversion for the world.
Seyyathāpi, aggivessana, hatthidamako mahantaṃ thambhaṃ pathaviyaṃ nikhaṇitvā āraññakassa nāgassa gīvāyaṃ upanibandhati āraññakānañceva sīlānaṃ abhinimmadanāya āraññakānañceva sarasaṅkappānaṃ abhinimmadanāya āraññakānañceva darathakilamathapariḷāhānaṃ abhinimmadanāya gāmante abhiramāpanāya manussakantesu sīlesu samādapanāya;	It’s like when the elephant trainer dug a large post into the earth and tethered the elephant to it by the neck, so as to subdue its wild behaviors, its wild memories and thoughts, and its wild stress, weariness, and fever, and to make it happy to be in the neighborhood of a village, and instill behaviors congenial to humans.
evameva kho, aggivessana, ariyasāvakassa ime cattāro satipaṭṭhānā cetaso upanibandhanā honti gehasitānañceva sīlānaṃ abhinimmadanāya gehasitānañceva sarasaṅkappānaṃ abhinimmadanāya gehasitānañceva darathakilamathapariḷāhānaṃ abhinimmadanāya ñāyassa adhigamāya nibbānassa sacchikiriyāya.	In the same way, a noble disciple has these four kinds of remembering meditation as tethers for the mind so as to subdue behaviors of the lay life, memories and thoughts of the lay life, the stress, weariness, and fever of the lay life, to complete the procedure and to realize nirvana.

(do 4sp with no kāma-vitakka/thoughts of sensuality)

(describing the same first jhana’s kusala dhamma vitakka of MN 19, AN 8.30, and their agama parallels)

「若聖弟子 觀內身如身，乃至觀覺、心、法如法。	24. "When the noble disciple contemplates the body as body internally ... (up to) ... contemplates feelings, mental states and dharmas as dharmas,
彼如來復 更調御比丘：	then the Tathāgata further tames the monk:
『汝當觀內身如身，莫念欲相 應念，乃至觀覺、心、法如法，莫念非法相應 念。』	'You should contemplate the body as body internally, do not think a thought related to sensual pleasures ... (up to) ... contemplate feelings, mental states and dharmas as dharmas, do not think a thought related to what is not rightful!'25
若聖弟子觀內身如身，不念欲相應念， 乃至觀覺、心、法如法，不念非法相應念者， 如是聖弟子隨如來教。	[13] When the noble disciple contemplates the body as body internally and does not think a thought related to sensual pleasures ... (up to) ... contemplates feelings, mental states and dharmas as dharmas and does not think a thought related to what is not rightful, then like this the noble disciple follows the instructions of the Tathāgata.

The next part with elephant simile, is not in MN 125

(simile: elephant trained to like and follow commands for good war elephant)

阿奇舍那！猶如野 象從調象師，則以柔軟可愛言向，臥起、去 來、取捨、屈伸者，如是野象隨調象師教。	"Aciravata, just as the forest elephant who, on being addressed by the elephant tamer with soft and agreeable words, lay down and got up, went and came back, took up and put down, bent and stretched, like this the forest elephant followed the instructions of the elephant tamer.26
如 是，阿奇舍那！若聖弟子觀內身如身，不念 欲相應念，乃至觀覺、心、法如法，不念非法 相應念，如是聖弟子隨如來教。	Like this, Aciravata, when the noble disciple contemplates the body as body internally and does not think a thought related to sensual pleasures ... (up to) ... contemplates feelings, mental states and dharmas as dharmas and does not think a thought related to what is not rightful, then like this the noble disciple follows the instructions of the Tathāgata.

B. Analayo in his analysis wondered why the Buddha would have 2 explicit sections for doing 4sp satipatthana. He says, the first section already removed 5 hindrances, so what need for the 2nd section doing 4sp? The answer's really simple, according to Ockham's razor. It's because the second section 4sp is describing what 4sp in first jhana is doing, in other words when one has successfully used 4sp to remove the 5 hindrances, and used 4sp to remove more subtle hindrances of thoughts of household life, then the thoughts remaining that are kusala Dharma, are exactly the kusala vitakka thoughts that still persist into 1st jhana.  

The corresponding MN 125 passage calls the "thought" (念) above 'vitakka'. 

(4 jhanas: first jhana here is equivalent to the 4sp instructions immediately preceding)

(4j🌕 - MN 125 the pali parallel to this sutra, removes first jhana and jumps directly to second jhana to make the point even more clear )

「若聖弟子 隨如來教者，如來復更調御比丘：	25. "When the noble disciple follows the instructions of the Tathāgata, the Tathāgata further tames the monk:
『汝當離 欲、離惡不善之法，至得第四禪成就遊。』	'you should dwell secluded from sensual desires, secluded from evil and unwholesome states ... (up to) ... attain and dwell having accomplished the fourth jhāna!'27
若 聖弟子離欲、離惡不善之法，至得第四禪 成就遊者，如是聖弟子則隨如來住不移 動。	When the noble disciple dwells secluded from sensual desires, secluded from evil and unwholesome states ... (up to) ... attains and dwells having accomplished the fourth jhāna, [14] then like this the noble disciple has followed the Tathāgata and has become established in imperturbability.

(simile: war elephant following trainer’s instructions on how to be imperturbable in battle) - MN 125 does not have this elephant simile

(unlike MN 125, this sutra incorporates the samma samadhi khamo tie in from AN 5.113 and AN 5.139 )

阿奇舍 那！若彼野象從調象師隨受教者，善調象 師則縛前兩脚、後脚、兩 髀 、兩脇、尾脊、頭額、 耳、牙，及縛其鼻，使人捉鉤，騎其頭上，令眾 多人持刀、楯、矟、鉾、戟、斧、鉞而在前立，善調 象師手執鋒鉾，在野象前而作是語： "Aciravata, when that forest elephant had obeyed the instructions of the elephant tamer, the good elephant tamer bound his two front feet, his back feet, his two hind parts, his two sides, his tail, his forehead, his ears, his tusks and also his trunk.14 A man holding a goad was made to mount on his neck, and many people were made to stand in front of him holding swords, [10] shields, spears, lances, halberds, hatchets and axes. Holding a sharp halberd in his hand and standing in front of the forest elephant, the good elephant tamer said: 『我今 治汝，令不移動，治汝勿動搖。』 'I will now train you in imperturbability, you must not move!'15
阿奇舍那！猶如野象從調象師治不 移動時，不舉前脚，亦不動後脚，兩 髀 、兩 脇、尾脊、頭額、耳、牙及鼻皆不動搖，如是野 象隨調象師住不移動。	"Aciravata, just as at the time of being instructed by the elephant tamer in imperturbability, [758c] the forest elephant did not lift the front feet, did not move the back feet, his two hind parts, his two sides, his tail, his forehead, his ears, his tusks and also his trunk, then like this the forest elephant followed the elephant tamer's instructions on imperturbability.28
如是，阿奇舍那！若 聖弟子離欲、離惡不善之法，至得第四禪 成就遊者，如是聖弟子則隨如來住不移 動。	Like this, Aciravata, when the noble disciple dwells secluded from sensual desires, secluded from evil and unwholesome states ... (up to) ... attains and dwells having accomplished the fourth jhāna, then like this the noble disciple has followed the Tathāgata and become established in imperturbability.29

MN 125 does not have the elephant simile above. Also, the above passage I believe is missing an elision from earlier in the sutta, that I've reinserted to make the context for the imperturbability more clear. So if you think carefully about what the simile means, to vitakka in first jhana actual practice (drawing on AN 8.63 and its agama parallel),

The elephant trainer giving the elephant instructions on imperturbability is:

samadhi with vitakka = the mental recitation of the 4 jhanas instructions 

samadhi with vicara = thinking more about the detailed meaning of those 4 jhanas instructions

samadhi without vitakka but still has vicara means the meditator as honed in on a specific detail of the 4 jhanas instructions, without needing to mentally remind himself of what the instructions are (vitakka = vaci sankhara = mental recitation of instructions). 

samadhi without vitakka and vicara is second jhana.

And the elephant being in a controlled setting, legs bound, is like the monk in a secluded forest, sitting with eyes closed, so he can give full attention to taming the 5 hindrances.

And most important of all, the purpose of 4 jhanas training, just like with the elephant, is to train in a controlled setting to simulate battle (with defilements), so that when you're outside the  training ground you're ready, resilient, patiently enduring and ready for actual battle. 

If you were just training your mind to shut off, detach from the body, go into jabrama jhana visuddhimagga redefinition of "jhana" as a time out state of frozen stupor, it does nothing to develop wisdom and practical skills to see, understand, endure and eliminate the defilements. 4 jhanas can be very quiescent and "still", but it's not a frozen stupor, it's a subtle and highly lucid state of unwavering focus, undistractible lucidity, and the point is to use that state to understand and destroy the defilements, not to just bury your head in the sand and temporarily pretend they're gone. As Ajahn Chah (Ajahn Brahm's teacher) said, criticizing that kind of wrong samadhi as one just sharpens the knife but never learns how to actually use it (to cut through defilements). 

The 2 elephant similes for this section, and the next part, really drives that point home. One is training to be resilient, patiently enduring, and fully aware of any defilements during the controlled training setting of simulated battle (i.e. 4 jhanas in empty hut), and during live battle walking around on almsround, every moment of daily life (still always in 4th jhana or close to it). 

(imperturbability of four jhanas allows monk to withstand hunger, mosquitoes, disease, etc.)

「若聖弟子隨如來住不移動者，彼於爾 時則能堪忍飢渴、寒熱、蚊虻、蠅蚤、風日所 逼，惡聲、捶杖亦能忍之，身遇諸疾極為苦 痛，至命欲絕，諸不可樂皆能堪耐。	30. "When by following the Tathāgata the noble disciple has been established in imperturbability, then at that time he is able to bear affliction by hunger and thirst, cold and heat, mosquitoes and gadflies, flies and fleas, wind and sun, and bad words, he can also endure being beaten with sticks.30 Any disease of the body that causes the utmost pain [and even] cuts off desire for life, all these discomforts he can bear.

(simile: war elephant imperturbable to danger and distractions in battle)

(unlike MN 125, this sutra incorporates the samma samadhi khamo tie in from AN 5.113 and AN 5.139 )

阿奇舍 那！猶如野象隨調象師住不移動，彼於爾 時忍刀、楯、矟、鉾、戟、斧、鉞、喚呼高聲，若嘯吹 螺、擊鼓、椎鐘，皆能堪忍。	"Aciravata, just as when the forest elephant followed the elephant tamer and remained imperturbable, at that time he put up with swords, shields, spears, lances, halberds, hatchets and axes, and the sound of loud shouting. He was able to endure any yelling, blowing of conches, beating of drums and striking of bells – being able to endure all of that.31
如是，阿奇舍那！若 聖弟子隨如來住不移動者，彼於爾時則 能堪忍飢渴、寒熱、蚊虻、蠅蚤、風日所逼，惡 聲、捶杖亦能忍之，身遇諸疾極為苦痛，至 命欲絕，諸不可樂皆能堪耐。	Like this, Aciravata, when by following the Tathāgata the noble disciple has been established in imperturbability, then at that time he is able to bear affliction by hunger and thirst, cold and heat, mosquitoes and gadflies, flies and fleas, wind and sun, and bad words, he can also endure being beaten with sticks. Any disease of the body that causes the utmost pain [and even] cuts off desire for life, all these discomforts he can bear.

The big difference between MA 198 and MN 125 on this section, is that 

1. MN 125 doesn't have that cool war elephant in live battle  simile (which ties it to the khamo/khanti samma samadhi suttas with the war elephant and thoroughbred horse). 

2. MN 125 places that passage about the resilient monk after one has attained imperturbable 4th jhana, and the 3 higher knowledges including arahantship, whereas MA 198 has it at imperturbable 4th jhana (meaning they don't necessarily have any noble attainments). MA 198 seems like the more correct reading between the two, since any non Buddhist with imperturbable 4th jhana quality of samadhi, can be fearless of pain and death, doesn't require any noble attainments.